Join this hot topic discussion about what’s happening in the housing industry and marketplace from the inside out. What housing models are being developed to serve the Bay Area’s diverse demographics and expanding populations? What neighborhoods will be the real estate markets of the future and how will these neighborhoods be changed or affected? What are best options for affordable, mixed use, mixed income housing?
The panel will include Christine Johnson, San Francisco Director, SPUR, San Francisco Bay Area Planning and Urban Research Association, Jonathan Moftakhar, Development Director Vanguard Properties, James Pappas, Planning/ Building Department/housing policy team, ; and David Rosen, Owner/ Principal, DRA Consultants, whose company develops affordable housing with local, national and international clients.
Christine Johnson has an extensive history working with San Francisco institutions. In March 2017, Christine joined SPUR as the organization’s first San Francisco director. In this role she leads SPUR’s policy, advocacy and convening work in San Francisco.
She has served for the past 7 years as Chair of the San Francisco Community Investment Fund (SFCIF) Advisory Board. The SFCIF was formed by the City to apply for and administer New Market Tax Credits. The Advisory Board negotiates for and evaluates the relative community benefits of potential projects. SFCIF has to-date deployed over $80 million towards projects including the Strand Theatre, the SF JAZZ Center, and the Western Addition Boys and Girls Club.
Ms. Johnson has served as President of the Board for the San Francisco Housing Development Corporation (SFHDC) board since 2015. SFHDC is a San Francisco-based non profit focused on facilitating community financial empowerment and developing affordable housing with a special focus on the Southeast Sector and the Western Addition.
Ms. Johnson was appointed to the San Francisco Planning Commission in July 2014 after serving for two years as Chair of the San Francisco Commission on Community Investment and Infrastructure (also known as the Successor Agency to the San Francisco Redevelopment Agency). Christine served in this role starting in December 2012 after more than 6 years on the Hunters Point Shipyard Redevelopment Citizen's Advisory Committee.
Professionally, Ms. Johnson has 11 years of experience in the public sector space having worked at a national consulting firm, a software company and a major bank helping municipal governments plan for, issue and manage debt. Most recently before SPUR, Christine was a Director at Third Sector Capital Partners, a nonprofit advisory firm dedicated to driving the adoption of the performance driven social sector. Ms. Johnson has a B.S. in Engineering Science from Smith College.
Jonathan Moftakhar oversees Developer Services at Vanguard Properties, guiding residential developments to fruition. His keen awareness of residential trends and nuances makes him a key asset to any development team. Jonathan comes to the table with over ten years of experience in residential sales, marketing and development. Jonathan consults on development programming, including unit mix, floor plans, amenities and finishes. His repertoire also includes branding concepts and marketing strategies, helping developments achieve top dollar at market. Jonathan also heads up the Company’s market research program, producing its renowned reports, covering both the new construction and resale markets. Jonathan is an active member of the San Francisco Housing Action Coalition, the Urban Land Institute and SPUR Urban Center.
James Pappas works as a policy planner focused on housing affordability at the San Francisco Planning Department. Prior to joining the Planning Department he worked for four years at The California Housing Partnership Corporation (CHPC), a statewide affordable housing nonprofit, where he focused on affordable housing preservation and policy research and advocacy. James completed his Masters of City Planning at the University of California, Berkeley where he focused on housing and community development with a particular focus on housing affordability near transit. Prior to his work in City planning and affordable housing, James worked for 7 years in health and social services. James is a San Francisco native and has also lived in New York City and Guadalajara, Mexico.
David Paul Rosen, Ph.D., Founder and Principal of DRA, is an internationally recognized authority in the fields of redevelopment, affordable housing finance, policy, land use, analysis, negotiation, lending and investment strategic planning. DRA Principals have advised on more than $9 billion in low income housing finance and project development. David is expert in deal structuring, renewable energy and energy efficiency, value capture analysis and asset management. He was invited on numerous occasions to provide briefings to the Obama White House and senior Administration officials in half a dozen agencies, presenting policy recommendations for sustainable community development, capital formation and financial regulation on more than $7 trillion in federal investment in real estate, housing and economic development. He is an internationally published author in the field and frequent international speaker on economic development, redevelopment, housing and energy policy and practice. He has served as an advisor to the World Bank, International Finance Corporation, European Mortgage Federation, the Australian Housing & Urban Research Institute, the International Real Estate Federation (FIABCI), the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, and UN HABITAT, among many other international institutions and more than 300 governmental jurisdictions. David earned his bachelor’s degree from Columbia University and his doctorate in public policy from the Union Institute.
John King is the San Francisco Chronicle's urban design critic. He joined the paper in 1992 and has been in his current post since 2001. His writing on architecture and urban design has been honored by groups including the California Preservation Foundation, the Society of Professional Journalists, and the California chapters of the American Institute of Architects and the American Planning Association. He was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Criticism in 2002 and 2003.
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